Cosmetics applicator



April 23, 1957 s. B. LEAvlN COSMETICS APPLICATOR Filed Dec.

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m. Rm 0.a m. EB ma m vl B ATTORNEY United States Patent O COSMETICSAPPLICATOR Samuel B. Leavin, New York, N. Y., assignor of one-third toWilliam H. Leavin and one-third to Joseph Aversa, New York, N. Y.

Application December 15, 1954, Serial No. 475,340

1 Claim. (Cl. 15-184) This invention relates to a cosmetics applicator.

The invention applies mainly to the application of lipstick typecosmetics to the lips by means of a brush but it is equally applicableto other lipsticks which may be used directly upon the lips without theaid of a brush or other applicator. The invention also pertains to othercosmetics which may be applied either directly or by a brush, forexample, eyebrow pencil, mascara and eye shadow.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a combinationholder and mechanism which houses a cosmetics applicator or a cosmeticitself and which projects it to exposed operative position and whichretracts it to concealed inoperative position, a cap being provided tomove it to one of these positions and a spring being provided to move itto the opposite position. The invention will hereinafter be described interms of utilizing the spring to retract the applicator and of utilizingthe cap to project the applicator to operative position but it will beunderstood that this is purely illustrative and the spring may be used,if desired, to project the applicator to operative position and the capmay be used to return the applicator to inoperative position.

Briey stated, a casing is provided which has the general appearance ofthe barrel of a mechanical pencil. A removable cap, of the general typeused in fountain pens, is removably mounted on said casing, beingadapted to be slipped over either end of the casing. The back end of thecasing is closed and the forward end may be tapered and open. Slidablymounted within the casing is the applicator itself or a holder for alipstick or eyebrow pencil or the like. A spring is also mounted in saidcasing and it engages the applicator (or lipstick holder, etc.) andurges it rearwardly into retracted position within the casing.

A longitudinal slot is provided in the casing and a pin projectsoutwardly through said slot from the applicator. When the cap is slippedonto the back end of the casing, it engages said pin and pushes itforwardly, thereby carrying the applicator along with it to operativeposition against the action of the spring. Frictional means is providedto hold the cap in position on the casing so that the spring will notaccidentally retract the applicator. When the cap is removed from theback end of the casing, the applicator is released for rearward movementunder the inuence of the spring to retracted position. The cap may nowbe placed upon the forward end of the casing to close olf said end andthe slot in the casing wall, thereby protecting the applicator or othercosmetic device which may be substituted therefor.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a side view of a cosmetics applicator made in accordance withone form of this invention, showing the applicator in operativeposition.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Patented Apr. 23, 1957 Fig. 3 is a view similar to the device in closedposition.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section therethrough on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view, partly broken away and in section, showingthe several components of the cosmetics applicator illustrated in Figs.1 to 4.

Fig. 6 is a side view of a modied component of said device, showing alipstick held thereby in place of the applicator shown in Fig. 5.

It will be noted in the drawing that the cosmetics applicator hereinclaimed includes a casing 10 and a cap 12 for said casing. The casing isgenerally cylindrical in form with a tapered forward end 14. It is openat both that of Fig. l1 but showing ends and is provided with alongitudinally extending sloty 16 in its side wall. The back end 18 ofcasing 10 is normally kept in closed position or condition by means of aplug 20. Casing 10 and cap 12 are made, preferably, of metal and plug 20is made, preferably, of molded plastics. r

Cap 12 is made to be slipped over either end of casing 10. The forwardend 22 of cap 12 is open and its rear end 24 is tapered and closed. Africtional t between the cap and the casing is desired for the purposesof this invention and this is eiected by means of raised ridges 26formed on casing 10. These ridges are engageable by the cap irrespectiveof whether it is applied to the casing at its back end or its forwardend.

Slidably mounted within casing 10 is a plunger 30, this plunger beingmade, preferably, of plastics molded to the shape shown in Fig. 5. Itcomprises a generally cylindrical body 32 with a concave recess 34formed in its side and a transverse hole 36 formed therethrough, saidhole and said recess being in communication with each other. A post orstud 38 projects forwardly from cylindrical body 32, coaxiallytherewith. Post 38 may have a tapered forward end 40 and an annulargroove 42 encircling said tapered forward end. Since post 38 is smallerin diameter than cylindrical body 32, an annular shoulder 44 is providedbetween said post and said body.

It will be observed that a tubular ferrule 46 is provided and that saidferrule is somewhat tapered at its back end 48 to correspond to thetaper of forward end 40 of post 38. It is consequently possible to mountsaid ferrule 46 on said tapered end 40 as shown in the drawing so as tosecure said ferrule to said tapered end. At the forward end of ferrule46 are hairs 50 which constitute a brush suitable for applyingcosmetics.

Encircling post 38 and ferrule 46 is a coiled compression spring 52. Theback end of said spring abuts annular shoulder 44. The forward end ofthe spring abuts the tapered end 14 of casing 10 and the spring is ofsuch diameter relative to the opening in said tapered end of the casingthat it cannot pass through. Consequently, when plunger 30 is Slidablymounted in the casing, the spring acts between the tapered forward endof the casing and the annular shoulder on said plunger, thereby urgingthe plunger rearwardly toward the back end of the casing. Since theapplicator brush is mounted on said plunger, and more particularly onits forwardly extending post 38, said applicator brush will also beurged rearwardly by said spring into retracted position within thecasing.

A bowed leaf spring 60 is disposed within recess 34, its ends abuttingthe inside wall of casing 10. A pin 62 is `secured to said leaf spring,centrally thereof, 4and it will be observed that said pin projectsthrough hole 36 in the plunger and slot 16 in the casing. This pin isactually a stepped member, somewhat thicker adjacent the leaf `springand somewhat thinner at its free end. It is this relatively thin portionwhich projects through slot 16 as Figs. 2 and 4 clearly show. Said leafspring fuuctions to resiliently hold said pin in its said outwardlyprojecting'position, irrespeetiveiof the position of the plunger withinthe casing and irrespective of lwhether the plunger is at rest withinthe easing or is being moved relativegthereto. Y A

v Pin 62' performs two irnportantfunctions. In the first place,.itserves-as aA stopmember yagainst the ends of slot 16 to govern the rangeof movement of the Vplunger.Y

andthebrushvapplicator mountedthereon. By the same token,.it serves asthe means oflocking the plunger and a'l-l of the other componentsconnected therewith into the casing.. In `other words,- it holds theparts together and limits their. relative movement. In the second place,pin 62 is engageable by the forward end-:22of c-ap 12. When thecapl isslipped onto the back end of the casing, it engages said pin and pushesit forwardly, therebyI moving the plunger and the` applicator brushforwardlyto operative position, against the action ofthe coil spring.When the cap is removed from the backend of the casing, the pin isreleased and/theA plunger is free to return to retracted position under.the influence of the spring. When the cap Vis now placed upon theforward end of the casing, it will once again'engage the pin but thistime only to assist the coiled spring in holding said pin and theplunger in retracted position.

. Turning now to Fig. 6, a smallvariation of the labove described deviceis shown. The entire mechanism remains the same with the exception of amodification in the plunger and a'substitution of a lipstick for thebrush applicator. Fig. 6 shows aplunger 70'which Icorresponds toplunger30 except that it lacks a post or. stud corresponding to post or stud 38and, instead, has a cup-shaped forward portion 72 which serves as areceptacle 'for lipstick 74: This lipstick may be inserted directly intosaid cup-Shaped receptacle or it may be mounted in a metal cup 76 which,in turn, would be inserted int-o saidcupshaped receptacle 72. This issimply illustrative of how the device herein claimed may be fitted withcosmetic preparations or cosmetic applying means in place of the 'brushapplicator shown inthe first ve gures of the drawing. Anotherpossibility, again without limiting this Y invention, isto substitute acosmetic stick for brush hairs 501m ferrule` 46. There would bev nochange in principle and there would simply be a substitution of cosmeticapplying means in the same ferrule.

The foregoing is illustrative of preferred forms of this invention'andit will be understoodrthat these forms may berrodiied and other formsmay bev provided within the broad spirit of the invention and the broadscope `of the claim.

' What is claimed is:

A cosmetics applicator of the character described, comprising a tubularcasing which is open at its forward end, said forward end being taperedinwardly to form a generally conical shoulder on the'inside thereof, `aplunger slidably mounted in said casing for longitudinal movementtherein, the forward' end of said plunger being reduced,l an 'annularshoulder being for-med between said reduced forward end of the plungerand the main body of the plunger, a coiled compression spring mounted onsaid reduced forward end -of the plunger, the back end of said coiledspring bearing against said annular shoulder and the forwardy end ofsaid coiled spring bearing against said conical shoulder, whereby theplunger is urged rearwardly within said casing andrelativethereto, atapered ferrule secured to the forward end of said reduced end of theplunger and adapted to project through the open tapered forward end oftheycasing, brush bristles held by said ferrule, a longitudinal slotformed in `said casing, a transversely extending pin mounted in saidplunger for transverse movement therein, one end of said pin beingdisposed to project `outwardly through said slot, said pin beingengageable with the ends .of said slot to limit the longitudinallsliding movement of the plunger within said casing, a recess formed inthe side of the plunger diametrically opposite the slot in the casing, abowed leaf spring mounted Yin said recess,` the opposite end of said pinbeing securedto the center of said bowed leaf spring, the ends of saidbowed leaf` spring being in slidable engagement with the insidewallof'the casing, whereby the pin is urged by said bowed leaf spring inthe direction of said slot, and a cap for said casing, said'cap beingremovably slidably mounted von the back end of said casing and beingengageable with the outwardly projecting end of Isaid pin to push thepin and the plunger in which it ismounted forwardly against the Iactionof the compression coil spring, thereby causing. Y the brush bristles toproject forwardly through the forprojecting end of the pin and therebypreventing saidV pin, plunger and brush bristles from moving forwardlyin the casing.,

i References Cited inthe tile of this patentV UNITEDy STATES Prrrnrrrs380,080 Bouton Mar. 27, 1888 578,780 Smith Mar. 16, 1897 783,937 EdwardsFeb. 28, 1905 1,103,879 Hoffman July 14, 1914. 2,071,747 Houlihan Feb.23, 1937 2,468,733 Boulicault' May 3, 19.49 2,607,942 Gordon Aug. 26,1952

